Man dead, two officers wounded in Craven Terrace

Friday night's shooting at Craven Terrace occurred in the vicinity of 175 Oak St. Two New Bern police officers were wounded and an unidentified man was killed in the incident.

Bill Hand/Sun Journal

By Sue Book and Bill Hand, Sun Journal Staff

Published: Sunday, March 30, 2014 at 06:08 PM.

Two New Bern police officers were wounded and a man they were trying to stop and question was killed in the Craven Terrace area of New Bern late Friday night.

The incident left a man dead who was identified by family and neighbors as Bryan “Fluke” Stallings, 33, of New Bern. The injured were identified as New Bern Police Officers Alexander E. Thalmann and Justin W. Wester.

The probe into the incident is being led by the State Bureau of Investigation and public details were few Saturday.

“It is standard procedure for the SBI to investigate all enforcement officer involved shootings,” said District Attorney Scott Thomas early Saturday.

Thomas, who was at the scene until 5 a.m. with New Bern Police and the SBI, said there was “nothing at this point to indicate that it (the fatal shooting) was not justified.”

The first in-town shooting of a New Bern policeman in the memory of Mayor Dana Outlaw or other members of the Board of Aldermen, who met at noon Saturday to take action in support of the wounded officers, happened about 11:45 p.m. Friday near Oak and Elm streets.

It resulted in Thalmann, 22, a New Bern Police Officer since 2013, and Wester, 23, an officer since 2012, being taken by ambulance to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville after being first transported to nearby CarolinaEast Medical Center.

Officials said Wester was shot in the leg with a handgun and the bullet went completely through. He was treated and released. Thalmann, who was shot in the face, was reportedly breathing on his own and had stable vital signs as of 2 p.m. Saturday.

Stallings was killed in front of 175 Craven Terrace, the apartment of Kisha Pack, and bullets from Wester’s gun went through her window.

Crime scene tape, blood and other signs of violence were on the grass by the apartment sidewalk despite rains during and after the incident.

Daughter and resident Shawn Pack, who came home from work shortly after the incident, said “My mother was so scared,” and relative and nearby resident Megan Pack said, “I was right there. I ran for my life.”

Nearby resident Tyrekee Robinson said he also “went away when I heard the shots.”

Most of the shooting was on the Elm Street sidewalk beside the Craven Terrace housing project and confined to an area less than half a city block near Rue Chapel AME Church.

Gunshots and police, fire, and emergency vehicle sirens woke up the neighborhood and brought dozens of residents into the streets.

The doorway to the 182 Craven Terrace apartment of Shanta Smith opens to a clear view of where the two officers were shot, Wester near a large stump just past the sidewalk and Thalmann just across and slightly down Elm Street.

Smith, who was in Stallings’ class at New Bern High School, said she heard her 6-month old baby E’mich cry and gunshots almost simultaneously. Subsequently, “I heard everything, including the multiple gunshots. It was tragic.”

A 3 p.m. Saturday news conference was called by New Bern Police Chief Toussaint E. Summers Jr. in Greenville, where other New Bern police officers and several New Bern aldermen gathered in support of the injured officers.

Summers said Thalmann confronted the Stallings, who “bolted” and Thalmann and Wester pursued. Stallings fired and wounded the officers, Thalmann first, then Wester. “Officers returned fire” and killed the suspect, Summers said.

He gave no reason why Stallings was stopped in the first place.

Piecing together multiple accounts from witnesses and others connected to the investigation, it appears that Thalmann approached Stallings, and perhaps one other individual, on foot to ask questions. There appeared to be an verbal exchange, after which Stallings ran. Thalmann called for backup and chased. Stallings turned around, pistol in hand.

Both men fired their weapons once and the investigation will tell who fired first. A bullet from Stallings’ gun hit Thalmann in the face.

Based on eyewitness accounts and remnants left at the scene, it appeared that Thalmann’s wound and condition were serious enough that a defibrillator was used.

Wester arrived quickly and continued to pursue Stallings, who turned and also fired twice at him, striking him in the leg.

Wester shot at and hit Stallings several times, killing him.

Emergency responders answering the calls said neighborhood residents were upset and a large crowd gathered in spite of the rain and the fact they had heard gunshots.

A statement issued by DA Thomas at the news conference said that he and Summers jointly requested the SBI investigation and investigators have already “photographed the scene, collected evidence and conducted interviews.”

“We anticipate the investigation will take at least two weeks,” Thomas said. “At the conclusion of the investigation, I will review the findings and make the final determination as to whether the shooting was justified.”

Expressing sentiments also offered earlier in the day by New Bern aldermen, Thomas said, “Our prayers are with everyone touched by this event and we hope the two officers have complete recovery.”

Summers also said, “Right now, our prayers are with the families.”

He thanked New Bern Police, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police, North Carolina Highway Patrol, River Bend Police and Trent Woods Police for their help.

Sue Book can be reached at 252-635-5665 or sue.book@newbernsj.com. Follow her on Twitter@SueJBook.

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Two New Bern police officers were wounded and a man they were trying to stop and question was killed in the Craven Terrace area of New Bern late Friday night.

The incident left a man dead who was identified by family and neighbors as Bryan “Fluke” Stallings, 33, of New Bern. The injured were identified as New Bern Police Officers Alexander E. Thalmann and Justin W. Wester.

The probe into the incident is being led by the State Bureau of Investigation and public details were few Saturday.

“It is standard procedure for the SBI to investigate all enforcement officer involved shootings,” said District Attorney Scott Thomas early Saturday.

Thomas, who was at the scene until 5 a.m. with New Bern Police and the SBI, said there was “nothing at this point to indicate that it (the fatal shooting) was not justified.”

The first in-town shooting of a New Bern policeman in the memory of Mayor Dana Outlaw or other members of the Board of Aldermen, who met at noon Saturday to take action in support of the wounded officers, happened about 11:45 p.m. Friday near Oak and Elm streets.

It resulted in Thalmann, 22, a New Bern Police Officer since 2013, and Wester, 23, an officer since 2012, being taken by ambulance to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville after being first transported to nearby CarolinaEast Medical Center.

Officials said Wester was shot in the leg with a handgun and the bullet went completely through. He was treated and released. Thalmann, who was shot in the face, was reportedly breathing on his own and had stable vital signs as of 2 p.m. Saturday.

Stallings was killed in front of 175 Craven Terrace, the apartment of Kisha Pack, and bullets from Wester’s gun went through her window.

Crime scene tape, blood and other signs of violence were on the grass by the apartment sidewalk despite rains during and after the incident.

Daughter and resident Shawn Pack, who came home from work shortly after the incident, said “My mother was so scared,” and relative and nearby resident Megan Pack said, “I was right there. I ran for my life.”

Nearby resident Tyrekee Robinson said he also “went away when I heard the shots.”

Most of the shooting was on the Elm Street sidewalk beside the Craven Terrace housing project and confined to an area less than half a city block near Rue Chapel AME Church.

Gunshots and police, fire, and emergency vehicle sirens woke up the neighborhood and brought dozens of residents into the streets.

The doorway to the 182 Craven Terrace apartment of Shanta Smith opens to a clear view of where the two officers were shot, Wester near a large stump just past the sidewalk and Thalmann just across and slightly down Elm Street.

Smith, who was in Stallings’ class at New Bern High School, said she heard her 6-month old baby E’mich cry and gunshots almost simultaneously. Subsequently, “I heard everything, including the multiple gunshots. It was tragic.”

A 3 p.m. Saturday news conference was called by New Bern Police Chief Toussaint E. Summers Jr. in Greenville, where other New Bern police officers and several New Bern aldermen gathered in support of the injured officers.

Summers said Thalmann confronted the Stallings, who “bolted” and Thalmann and Wester pursued. Stallings fired and wounded the officers, Thalmann first, then Wester. “Officers returned fire” and killed the suspect, Summers said.

He gave no reason why Stallings was stopped in the first place.

Piecing together multiple accounts from witnesses and others connected to the investigation, it appears that Thalmann approached Stallings, and perhaps one other individual, on foot to ask questions. There appeared to be an verbal exchange, after which Stallings ran. Thalmann called for backup and chased. Stallings turned around, pistol in hand.

Both men fired their weapons once and the investigation will tell who fired first. A bullet from Stallings’ gun hit Thalmann in the face.

Based on eyewitness accounts and remnants left at the scene, it appeared that Thalmann’s wound and condition were serious enough that a defibrillator was used.

Wester arrived quickly and continued to pursue Stallings, who turned and also fired twice at him, striking him in the leg.

Wester shot at and hit Stallings several times, killing him.

Emergency responders answering the calls said neighborhood residents were upset and a large crowd gathered in spite of the rain and the fact they had heard gunshots.

A statement issued by DA Thomas at the news conference said that he and Summers jointly requested the SBI investigation and investigators have already “photographed the scene, collected evidence and conducted interviews.”

“We anticipate the investigation will take at least two weeks,” Thomas said. “At the conclusion of the investigation, I will review the findings and make the final determination as to whether the shooting was justified.”

Expressing sentiments also offered earlier in the day by New Bern aldermen, Thomas said, “Our prayers are with everyone touched by this event and we hope the two officers have complete recovery.”

Summers also said, “Right now, our prayers are with the families.”

He thanked New Bern Police, Craven County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville Police, North Carolina Highway Patrol, River Bend Police and Trent Woods Police for their help.

Sue Book can be reached at 252-635-5665 or sue.book@newbernsj.com. Follow her on Twitter@SueJBook.